How to Clear Browsing Data in Chrome

Introduction

Trying to maintain your online privacy or simply looking to free up some space on your device? Clearing your browsing data in Chrome, including your history, cache, and cookies, is a great way to do so. This guide shows how to clear Chrome history, cached files, cookies and autofill data on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Saved passwords are no longer part of this dialog: you delete them in Google Password Manager (see how to manage saved passwords).

The Quick Way

• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows and Linux or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac to open the Delete browsing data dialog.
• Or type chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in the address bar to open it directly.

How to Clear Browsing Data in Chrome

Windows, macOS, and Linux

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click on the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Delete browsing data. (It is also under Settings > Privacy and security.)
4. Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
5. Check the boxes for Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files. More types, such as Download history, Autofill form data and Site settings, are available if needed.
6. Click Delete data.

If you are signed in to Chrome, the data is also deleted from your Google Account and your other devices. Deleting cookies while signed in keeps you signed in to Google; sign out of Chrome first if you want to remove Google’s cookies too. For more detail, see the official Google Chrome Help article.

Android

1. Open the Chrome app on your Android device.
2. Tap the three-dot menu icon to the right of the address bar.
3. Tap Delete browsing data.
4. Choose a duration. The default is 15 minutes.
5. To pick specific types, such as cookies or cached images and files, tap More options and select them.
6. Tap Delete data.

iOS

1. Open the Chrome app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (More), then Delete Browsing Data.
3. Next to Time Range, choose a duration. The default is 15 minutes.
4. Tap Browsing Data, select the types you want to delete, and tap Confirm.
5. Tap Delete Browsing Data.

Understanding Time Range Options

When clearing browsing data, you can choose a specific time range:

• Last 15 minutes: Removes data from the past 15 minutes.
• Last hour: Removes data from the past hour.
• Last 24 hours: Deletes data from the past day.
• Last 7 days: Clears data from the last week.
• Last 4 weeks: Erases data from the past month.
• All time: Removes all browsing data of the selected types stored in Chrome.

Conclusion

Clearing your browsing data in Chrome is a straightforward process that can help protect your privacy and fix sites that misbehave. Deleting cookies signs you out of most sites, so pick only the data types you need. Your downloaded files and bookmarks are not removed.